Floyd Gerald Thayer
(Jacksonville, Vermont: 18th July 1877 - 29th July 1959)
Inspired by and learned around age 8 when bought a box of tricks. Brought by father in 1891 to Pasadena, California, where he began doing semi-pro club shows as "Gerald". Pro dealer-prop maker in southern California as, successively, The Magic Shop of the West 1902-12, Thayer & Christianer 1912-16, F.G. Thayer 1916-1917, Thayer Studio of Magic 1917, Thayer Manufacturing Company 1917-1933 when sold to the Owen brothers, and Thayer Magic Studio in Hollywood 1933-1942 when sold to Bill Larsen and retired. IBM member #248 (1923). SAM Hall of Fame.
Wrote several booklets. Bio is included in Richard Buffum, Keep the wheels turning... (1977) and Les & Gertrude Smith, Keep the wheels turning..., V.2 (1992, 372pp). See Glenn Gravatt, Thayer Quality Magic (4 vols).
Coauthors: Louis F. Christianer, Glenn G. Gravatt